ABSTRACT
This theme reflects the participants' discussions about race that emerged for four of the six participants. Tanya, Chantel, Alicia, and Kim talked about race issues; in particular, they spoke of their experiences of racial discrimination. These participants' comments revealed an acute awareness of people's reactions to their appearance in terms of race. It seemed they struggled to develop and maintain a sense of unique identity and self-esteem in spite of their experiences of discrimination and racism. Chantel's thoughts included larger questions about how racial discrimination and prejudice evolved. She speculated that "something must have happened a very long time ago". She noted that racist ideas about superiority could just as easily have evolved to be biased in favor of dark-colored skin. Alicia discussed discrimination and said she disagreed with her friend's belief that a white person would get a job faster than a black person.
